Physicians Practice - October 2008 - (Page 62)

ADMINISTRATOR’S DESK one, gather input from multiple sources — employees at every level of your practice, patients, and even other members of the business community who can help provide outside perspective on what your practice brings to the table. “I often have practices review the results of their patient and employee satisfaction surveys for additional input,” says Dunn. “That usually gives the physicians a little nudge. ‘Oh yeah, we do do that well.’” Think, too, about what sets your practice apart. “I advise physicians who are trying to prepare their mission statement to create a list of things that make their patients, practice, and employees unique and then incorporate these into the statement,” says Dunn. Though some practices require a mission statement that is several paragraphs long, Quatre and Dunn agree that short and simple is best. A one- or two-sentence mission statement is easier to remember and thus, easier to uphold and to communicate to staff, says Quatre. “Use lay terms so it’s not too technical.” SAY IT PROUD Once you’ve done the work and deﬁned who you are as a practice, don’t tuck it away. Post your mission statement in the lobby for patients to see, e-mail it to every employee, include it as part of your human resources packet for new hires, and distribute it to every vendor and hospital with which you are afﬁliated. “Communicating the medical practice’s mission to all clients (patients, vendors, staff, hospitals, etc.) is a good ﬁrst step toward letting them know what they should expect from the practice,” says Dunn. Use it, too, in any new marketing material you create. “Mission statements can be very effective in core messaging around the practice,” says Quatre. “You can integrate part of it into your tagline and certain marketing campaigns, using pieces of it to really help sell your services.” BUY-IN a formality, it lacks the impact it should have,” says Quatre. “The mission statement works beautifully when you have practice owners who understand what they’re trying to create so they’re passionate about it. They’re excited to tell people this is why the practice exists and that they should choose this practice because they agree.” Whether you’re drafting a ﬁrst mission statement, or revising an old one, the time you spend with physicians and staff clarifying your raison d’être will not only lead to greater insight into who you are as a medical practice, but also provide a roadmap for getting where you want to go. • Shelly K. Schwartz, a freelance writer in Above all, of course, make sure every physician shareholder embraces the mission statement. “When it’s merely Maplewood, N.J., has covered personal ﬁnance, technology, and healthcare for 12 years. Her work has appeared on CNNMoney.com, Bankrate.com, and Healthy Family magazine. She can be reached via editor@physicianspractice.com. 62 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | OCTOBER 2008 WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM http://www.CNNMoney.com http://www.CNNMoney.com http://www.Bankrate.com http://www.medinotes.com http://www.medinotes.com http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Physicians Practice - October 2008

Physicians Practice - October 2008 Contents Another Reason to Go Cash-Only? Letters How ’Bout Them Gas Prices? Second Opinion: Oh, Canada! Noteworthy Cover Story: Fixing the Leaks: How to Tighten Your Money Spigot Navigating a Lawsuit Ask the Experts The Administrators Desk: What’s Your Mission? EMR: Help or Hindrance? Dealing with Dr. Dangerous E-Mail Abuse Primer The Road to EMR Interoperability Don’t Let Staff Costs Stifle Profits Coding Classifieds Advertiser Index

Physicians Practice - October 2008

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